Marquette University Project BEYOND-2 Coordinator Terrie Garcia, MEd, RN, PhD(c), was selected by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing to represent an interdisciplinary Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition to address members of Congress at an event in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Nov. 28.

The panel discussion will focus on how Title VII and VIII grantees are helping patients with opioid use disorders, increasing access to care for rural communities, practicing preventative medicine, and promoting health equity.

Garcia coordinates Project BEYOND-2, a student support program that seeks to encourage students from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue a career in professional nursing. Project BEYOND-2 is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“It is an incredible honor to represent nursing at the national level as we work to improve nursing workforce diversity to meet the pressing unmet health care needs in our communities,” Garcia said. “Marquette College of Nursing graduates are committed to making a difference for others by addressing health inequities and working to create a socially just society.”